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The National Bourgeoisie
A class within the peasant masses that is the absolute lowest rung of the social strata. The lumpenproletariat are the criminals, the unemployed, the prostitutes, and the juvenile delinquents, and they represent a serious security threat to society. They are also “the most spontaneously and radically revolutionary forces of a colonized people,” and Fanon refers to them as the “urban spearhead” of the liberation struggle. The lumpenproletariat are crucial in the fight for independence, and Fanon believes that any national liberation movement would do well to utilize them their advantage.
The Lumpenproletariat Quotes in The Wretched of the Earth
The The Wretched of the Earth quotes below are all either spoken by The Lumpenproletariat or refer to The Lumpenproletariat. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
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Chapter 2: Grandeur and Weakness of Spontaneity Quotes
It is among these masses, in the people of the shanty towns and in the lumpenproletariat that the insurrection will find its urban spearhead. The lumpenproletariat, this cohort of starving men, divorced from tribe and clan, constitutes one of the most spontaneously and radically revolutionary forces of a colonized people.
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The Lumpenproletariat Character Timeline in The Wretched of the Earth
The timeline below shows where the character The Lumpenproletariat appears in The Wretched of the Earth. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 2: Grandeur and Weakness of Spontaneity
...to town, unable to find a place, living in makeshift shantytowns. These masses are the lumpenproletariat, and they are the “urban spearhead” of the rebellion. The lumpenproletariat are starving men who...
(full context)
In Kenya, during 1950 and ‘51, the British colonial police increased their tactics against the lumpenproletariat. During this time, there was a massive inflow of Kenyans from outlying rural areas, and...
(full context)
Colonialism has historically found ways in which to use the lumpenproletariat. Any national liberation movement, Fanon says, would do well to pay increased attention to the...
(full context)
